forman palmer



(NoMoaelJ' J. E. PALMER. vT-EAGEION ENGINE.

Patented E61). `E, 1384,

' 5 ful Improvements in Traction-Engines; and I g 35 to theside o f there-box frame, as shown, is

' 5o ing-sta11dardl,f`1xedto thebottoin oftheboiler,

7 i UNTED STATES PATENT EriceO J'. FORMAN PALMER, or RURN, NEw YORK,AssroNoR ro rnMsELr, JOHN sEYMoUR, AND srDNEY w. PALMER, ALE OE skirm-PLACE.

`TFzAcTIOlv-ElveIN E.

EPE SIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 293,(16'7, datedFelcruaiy 5, 1884. i d Application filed November 5, 1883. (No model.) ii 1'0 @ZZ whom, if; 77th/y concern:

Be it known that I, J. FORMAN PALMER, of Auburn, in the county of`Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and usef dohereby declare that the following is a full,v t clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which` I Figure l shows a view in side elevation ofso much of atraction-engine with my steering apparatus applied thereto as isnecessary in g order to show the arrangement, construction, and mannerof 'supporting the different parts of saidapparatus; and Fig. 2, a topplan view of the same with the boiler removed.

The object of my invention is to provide an improvementin the steeringapparatus for traetion-engines; and to this end it consists in the 20construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafterdescribed, and more specifically pointed out in the claims, whereby theengine can be steered by power from the driving-shaft of' the engine ineither direction,

and the speed of the shifting Or cramping of the front axle-tree. insuch steering can be readily and quickly regulated, and. whereby thepower steering devices can bethrown out of operation andthe steering bedone by hand without reference to the movement `ol" the driving-shaft ofthe engine; l

.In the drawings, A designates the boiler, and B the fire-box. Journaledupon a suitable stud, C, attached aspool-shap`ed pulley or wheel, D,consisting of two friction-cones, D D", beveled inward and toward eachother, and rigidly connected together by means of the sleeve portionD'". 4o Upon a hub, d, on the inside end of this dou-` blefriction-wheel is fixed a sprocket or chain wheel, E. Over this runstheelfain F, driven from spocket-pulley G on the shaft of the maincrank-wheel, which shaftis, as usual, journaled 4 5 above the boiler. i

. Supported and journaled in suitable boxes, H H', on brackets I I',attached to the fire-box end and side, respectively, and inbox H" onbracket I", attached to one arm of the su pportbearing-box i H.

N, (represented in dotted lines,) when it is desired to turn the shaftby hand-power. This shaft is provided with fixed collars Z and Z', to 6oprevent its longitudinal movement in its journal-boxes. The collarZbears against the rear `end of the sleeve Z" on the shaft, whichsleeve,

at its front end, bears against the rear end of The collar Z abutsagainst the forward end or face of box H'. Any other of the wellknownmeans in common use for the same purpose on revolving shafts can ofcourse be employed.

Pivoted upon shaft L is the doublejournal- 7o box M', in which isjournaled the short shaft N', parallel with the other shaft. This doublebox, in plan view, as shown in Fig. 2, consists of the main part m,having at each end a portion, my', extending outward at right angles to7 5 the rest. The outer face of each of these raised portions isprovided with two half j ournal -bearings, one for each shaft. Thebearings are made complete Vby covering-plates provided withcorresponding half-bea rings, which plates 8o are to be held in placeand fastened by suitable screws or bolts.

Upon the long shaft L, and between these journal-bearing portions of boxM, is fixed the long-toothed pinion O. rlhe short shaft N' is journaledso as to revolve and be capable of longitudinal movementin its bearingsin box M, and upon this shaft and gearing with pinion O isxedithegear-wheel l); Upon the front end of this shaft is the friction-cone 9oor bevel-wheel Q, which, when the box M is upright, is situated betweenand just out of contact with the friction-cones or bevel-wheels D D",described above. The beveling of the cone Q of 'coursecorresponds withthat of 95 the latter, so that proper `frieti'onal contact shall be madeand maintained when the former is brought againstfeither of the latter.

Upon the rear endv of shaft N' are fixed two collars, a n, between whichis held from lon- IOO Y latter.

gitudinal movement the loose sleeve It. this sleeve is pivoted the leverS by means of the pin n on the former and the slot s in the This leveris fulcrumed on a pivotpin, s', on sleeve Z on shaft L. Vith thisarrangement the short shaft can, by means of the lever, be slid back andforth in its bearings in box M, so that the friction wheel or cone onits end will be carried away from or toward the central sleeveconnecting the two beveled friction-wheels D D. Such 1novement is causedby a movement of the lever S back and forth upon its fulcrum-pin S. Asthis pin is upon the sleeve Z, which is free to turn on shaft L, thelever can also be turned over from side to side, carrying with it theshaft N and box M, both lever and box having the shaft L as the pivotupon which they.

turn or rock.v The object of this arrangement and construction will befully explained hereinafter.

The front and lower end of the shaft L is provided with a bevel-pinion,T, which gears with the bevel-gear wheel U on the end of thescrew-,shaft V, which is journaled in boxes on the lower ends of thestand or bracket arms K K. This shaft, of course, is to be held fromlongitudinal movement in the boxes. Upon this screw-shaft is fitted thesleeve- X, screwthreaded interiorly to fit the thread on the shaft.Surrounding this sleeve, and pivoted to it above and below, is a ring,Y, which, as shown, is made elliptical, so as to admit of its turning onits vertical pivots to a considerable degree in either direction withoutstriking against the sleeve or shaft The lower side of this ring isprovided with a fixed sleeve, y', adapted to receive the rear reducedend of the forked piece Z, the lugs z z upon the front end of which aresuitably pivoted, by the bolt Z', between cars z e, fixed on the rearside of the front axle-tree ofthe engine. rear end of the piece Z is, asshown, capable of play back and forth in the sleeve y as the screwsleeve or nut X is caused to travel back and forth on the screw-shaftbythe revolution of the latter, 'and the distance of the sleeve from thepivotal point of the axle tree is changed.

To the bottom of the boiler, and above the ears e z", are the lugs orears z, so situated that if the bolt Z be drawn out and the fork Z beswung upward the bolt can be passed through lugs z z and ears z, and thefork be turned up out of the way, so as to allow its front axle to swingfreely on its pivot.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: `NVhile the engine is inoperationthe double cone wheel or spool is caused tol revolve by meansof its connection with the l sprocket-pulley on the revolvingcrank-shaft. By rocking the lever to one side or the other, thefriction-cone on the short shaft N can be brought into contact witheither one of the cones D D. Said shaft can then, by this means, becaused to turn in one direction or the other, according to which one ofthe cones The reduced' To i D D its friction-cone is brought intocontact with. As the long pinion on shaft L is always in gear with thetoothed wheel on shaft N, said shaft L and the transverse screweshaft V,by means of the connecting-gearing described, will be caused to turn inone direction or the other, according to the direction of the revolutionof the short shaft. A ready means of causing the screw sleeve orvnut Xto travel in one direction or .the other, to

swi-ng the front axle-tree to guide the machine, is thus provided. Byalso throwing the lever forward or back upon its fulcrum on the sleeveou shaft L, the shaft N can be slid forward or back, and the place ofcontact between the friction-cone on its end and either one of the conesDor D be carried nearer to.

or farther from the center of such cone. Upon the distance of the placeof contact from the center of the cone, of course,l depends the speed atwhich the cone on shaft N will be driven.- The movement of the lever toone side or the other then determines the direction in which the travelof the engine will be changed, and the movement of the same leverforward or back the speed of such change of direction. Vhen the lever isupright, thefriction bevel wheels or cones are out of contact with eachother, and, if desired, the shaft L can then be turned by means of thecrank, by hand, to turn the front axle in either direction independentlyof the operation of the engine.

Vith my apparatus,as shown and described, the steering, instead of beingdone byhand, as heretofore, by slow and laborious means requiring thespecial-and sole attention of one man, can be accomplished by power fromthe engine itself, governed as to the speed and direction of its actionby the movements of a single lever. With it there is also meansprovided, as described, for cramping the front axle and wheels, asdesired, by hand and irrespective of the fact of the engine being in orout of action. A

I do. not intend to claim herein, broadly, means for guiding or steeringa traction-engine driven by power from the engine itself, nor, broadly,means for causing the front axle to be swung on its pivot in eitherdirection by such power, as such means are substantially described andclaimed in another application filed by me of even date with this; nordo I intend to claim herein the means, as shown and described, adaptedto be actuated by power from the engine or by hand, to guide the engine,as such are substantially described and claimed in the applicationreferred to above.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, whatI claim is l. In combination with 'the double-eoned pulley driven bypower from the engine, gearing for shifting the front axle to guide themachine, and connecting mechanism between the pulley and such gearing,whereby the speed at which and the direction in which the axle- IOO IIO

shifting gearing will `be driven from` the pulley can be changed atwill, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the shaft L, journaled in fixed bearings, andadapted through t from the engine, and means for throwing suchconnectinggearing out of action, for reversing its action up'on theshaft, and for changing the speed of such action, substantially as shownand described. i

3. In combination with the shaft L, adapted through conneotinggearing tocause by its revolution the front axle of the machine to swing on itspivot to guide the machine, the

double friction cone or pulley D, driven by l power from the engine, thejournal-box M, pivoted and rocking on the shaft, the gearwheel fast onthe shaft, the short `shaft journaled in the box parallel to shaft L,the pinion on the 'short shaft gearing with the wheel on the othershaft, the friction-cone on the end of the short shaft and situatedbetween the two cones of the double friction-cone, and

.mea-ns for rocking the double journal-box on short-toothed wheel on theshaft N, ]'ournaled aud capable of sliding motion in the box parallelrtoshaft L, the friction-cone on the end,

of shaft N, situated between the friction-cones of the double frictionpulley or spool D, driven by power from the driving mechanism of theengine, and means for sliding the shaft N in the bearings and rockingthe journalbox on `shaft L, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. In combination with thesprocket-pulley on the end of the crank-shaftof the engine,

the sprocket-chain, the sprocket-wheel fixed to the double friction coneor spool, the shaft for operating the axle-shifting mechanism, the longpinion on such shaft, the journal-box pivoted on the shaft, the shortshaft journaled and sliding in the box, the toothed wheel fixed on thisshaft and gearing with the long pinion, the friction-cone on the end ofthe shaft and situated between the faces of the double cone, and a leveradapted to slide the short shaft in its bearings and to rock thejournal-box upon the shaft on which it is pivoted, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

6. In combination with the shaft L, the box M, pivoted and rocking uponit, the shaft N', journaled and sliding in said bex, and provided with afixed gear-wheel in mesh with a long-toothed pinion on shaft L, and thelever S, fulcrumed on a sleeve on shaft L, and pivotally connected withand embracing a sleeve on shaft N, which is prevented from 1ongitudinalmotion on said shaft, all substantially as shown and described, so thatby the same lever the box can be rocked on shaft L, and the shaft N canbe reoiprocated in its bearings in the box.

7. In combination with the fork Z, hinged to the front axle, thetransverse screw-shaft V, journaled in supports from the boiler or.Aengine-frame, and adapted to be revolved in either direction bysuitable actuating means, the screw sleeve or nut X, traveling on shaftV, and `thering Y, embracing the sleeve and pivoted thereto above andbelow, as shown, and provided with a fixed sleeve, i in which isinserted so as to be capable of longitudinal play therein the reducedend of the axle-shift ing fork' Z, substantially as and for the puripose set forth.

8. In combination with the axleshifting fork Z, the perforated lugsattached to the bottom of the boiler, and so situated that when the forkis detached from the front axle and swung upward its front ends willcome close beside the lugs, and the pivot-bolt z can be slid through thelatter and the ends of the fork, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

`In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my handthis 3d day of October, A. D. 1883.

J. FORMAN PALMER.

Vitnesses: v

HENRY C. Hamlin, PHILIP I?. LARNER.

